1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of automatic telephone call distributors and, more particularly, to an automatic call distributor system having the capability of connecting an additional party to an existing connected telephone call between two parties to create a conference call.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. 51.97-1.99
Automatic call distributors employing a multiport switch controlled by a central processing unit for selectively interconnecting a plurality of agent telephonic units of an internal telephonic network of the call distributor with external telephonic units of an external telephonic network are well known. Examples of such call distributor systems are shown in patent applications U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,903 of Jones et al. entitled "Multichannel Telephonic Switching Network With Different Signaling Formats and Connect/PBX Treatment Selectable For Each Channel" filed Oct. 2, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,611 of Jones et al. entitled "Pulse Modulated Self-Clocking and Self-Synchronizing Data Transmission and Method for a Telephonic Communication Switching System" issued Aug. 18 1992; U.S. Pay. No. 5,127,004 of Lenihan et al. entitled "Tone and Announcement Message Code Generator for a Telephonic Switching System and Method", issued Jun. 30, 1992 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,047 of Pitroda et al. entitled "Integrated Voice and Data Telecommunications Switching System" issued Dec. 2, 1986. Known automatic call distributors receive telephonic calls from external telephonic units via an external telephonic network. These received calls are routed to agents at agent telephonic units for the agents to service the calls.
It is also known in such call distributors to have a system capable of creating a conference call between more than two parties. Disadvantageously, in these known systems the connecting of an additional party to an existing call between a caller at an external telephonic unit and an agent at an agent telephonic unit requires putting the caller at the external telephonic unit on hold. Placing a party on hold in the known systems is needed to alert the multiport switch that the agent at the agent telephonic unit is requesting the addition of another party. The agent outdials the number of the gate or the individual telephonic set to obtain a voice path connection. Since the originally connected party is placed on hold, the switch reads the DTMF (dual tone multiple frequency) digits which the agent sends to the switch by actuating the numbered 0-9 telephone keys at the agent set when outdialing for an additional party. If the original party connected at the agent set is not placed on hold, then the switch will not read the DTMF digits. Once connection is made with the additional party, the agent takes the originally connected party off hold and the conference call is created.
For example, a customer service representative at an agent telephonic unit may need to use a translator when servicing a customer call from outside the country. In known systems, the agent would have to place the customer on hold while attempting to obtain the language translator. The customer has to wait throughout the period that the agent outdials to the translator, the outdialed call is connected between the agent and the translator and the agent connects back with the customer to establish a conference call. Frequently, the customer becomes bored or annoyed at having to wait for the agent and the third party translator to be reconnected on the telephone line. Furthermore, the customer who does not speak the language of the agent may become confused when he or she is put on hold. Placing a connected party on hold when attempting to create a conference call with a third party is also troublesome in many other applications such as in the verification of collect calls by a telephone operator.
Moreover, the known systems do not provide means to create a four party conference call between four telephonic units without the necessity of placing each of the outdialed parties within the call distribution system on hold.
Another disadvantage with the known call distribution systems is that they do not have means for storing information concerning a conference call automatically outdialed from a call distributor in response to an agent unit request in which an existing call at the agent unit is not placed on hold. These known systems do not provide the advantage of printing at a paper printer the automatically outdialed conference call information concerning which agent made the request, which conferencing telephonic unit was outdialed by the automatic call distributor for connection with the agent unit or whether any conferencing telephonic unit was available for interconnection with the agent telephonic unit.